Federal Immigration Enforcement Undermines Local Police Trust and Reforms

Key Quotes

"what happened was we had a protest start outside of a hotel where people believed federal law enforcement might be staying they believed ice agents were staying there right right exactly during the course of that protest and march it sort of transitioned into an unlawful assembly and things that typically happen in cities happened and a woman who was disoriented drove her car onto a sidewalk and the police were called to respond so while the police car was there dealing with regular police work suddenly they realized they had become surrounded by this crowd which had become unruly so our officers called in that they were unable to drive out and i was in the area personally with other police officers we just we quickly ran in to back the crowd out to get a path for the police car to come out and i think because we did that i think that may have contributed to emboldening an already unruly crowd and we very quickly called in well over 200 additional police officers and then ultimately we wound up placing uh 30 people under arrest for unlawful assembly and releasing them"

Chief O'Hara describes a protest that escalated into an unlawful assembly, where police officers, including himself, intervened to assist a disoriented driver and a police car surrounded by an unruly crowd. This intervention, he suggests, may have emboldened the crowd, leading to numerous arrests. Chief O'Hara highlights the challenges of managing such situations and the need for significant police resources.

"well i'm from about 10 miles from lower manhattan is where i grew up i was a police officer for over 20 years in newark new jersey but i had not known any somali americans until i moved to minnesota and the somali americans that i have met here including many of whom are police officers uh in this city have been incredibly welcoming of me you know so from a personal perspective it was just bizarre because i'm also aware that the overwhelming majority of people from that community are american citizens"

Chief O'Hara expresses his personal experience with the Somali-American community in Minnesota, finding them welcoming and noting that many are police officers. He contrasts this positive personal experience with the political rhetoric that characterized the community as troublemakers, stating that it seemed bizarre given his awareness of their citizenship and positive contributions. This quote underscores Chief O'Hara's perspective on the disconnect between personal observation and public political framing.

"but to the extent that things are being conducted that may not be well planned using tactics that are generally not viewed as sound that may unnecessarily endanger the lives both of law enforcement officers conducting that enforcement as well as the lives of people in the community certainly those are concerns that i have to deal with and i am responsible for as a professional managing my agency"

Chief O'Hara articulates his concerns regarding the manner in which federal immigration enforcement is conducted, rather than the enforcement itself. He emphasizes that poorly planned tactics that endanger both law enforcement officers and community members are a significant issue for which he, as a professional agency manager, is responsible. This quote highlights Chief O'Hara's focus on operational safety and sound methodology in law enforcement.

"it complicates things because we remain significantly understaffed this is the minneapolis police department the majority of the cops that worked here in 2020 five years later the majority have left and we're trying to rebuild we remain one third below what had been typical of of staffing for the police department here today while we're dealing with a much higher level of street crime than what had been normal in the past so this is adding additional work probably the toughest distinction is we're getting called and pulled into situations that are very tense and very emotionally charged and oftentimes we're asked to try and step in and de escalate situations where federal law enforcement may have been involved that very very quickly as soon as we show up we become the target of people's frustration"

Chief O'Hara explains how the influx of federal enforcement activities exacerbates the Minneapolis Police Department's existing challenges, particularly significant understaffing and increased street crime. He details how his officers are frequently called into tense, emotionally charged situations involving federal law enforcement, where they then become the target of community frustration. This quote illustrates the strain on the department's resources and the complex dynamic of community relations.

"we have placed a very strong emphasis on use of force on employing de escalation on the use of critical decision making practices we have gone out and had dozens of community meetings to get input from community as we revise our policies and i think it it all boils down to trying to fight crime in a way that earns community trust as opposed to alienating people"

Chief O'Hara outlines the reform efforts undertaken by the Minneapolis Police Department, focusing on use of force policies, de-escalation techniques, and critical decision-making. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement in policy revision and states that the overarching goal is to combat crime in a manner that builds, rather than erodes, community trust. This quote summarizes Chief O'Hara's commitment to a community-oriented approach to policing.

"yes you can have your protest please do it peacefully i've been concerned for weeks that because the issue is so emotional and because frankly some of the way this stuff has been carried out the greatest risk to me is that there would be unrest or that there would be a tragedy that somebody could get seriously hurt or killed but you seemed to kind of know that something awful was coming"

Chief O'Hara expresses his deep concern about potential unrest and tragedy stemming from the emotional nature of the situation and the manner in which federal enforcement actions were being carried out. He states that he had been warning of this risk for weeks, indicating a premonition that something serious could occur. This quote reveals Chief O'Hara's foresight and his anxiety about escalating tensions.